chelseathomas-1

[floorings101]

A Complete Guide to Engineered Wood Flooring: Benefits, Styles, and Installation

Engineered wood flooring has become one of the most popular choices for homeowners and interior designers due to its combination of durability, aesthetic appeal, and ease of installation. Unlike traditional hardwood, engineered wood consists of multiple layers that improve its stability and resilience, making it ideal for modern homes that need to balance style with practicality. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about engineered wood flooring, from its construction and benefits to the various styles available and the best methods for installation. Whether you're looking to upgrade a single room or outfit your entire home, engineered wood flooring offers a versatile and cost-effective solution.

Engineered wood flooring is designed to offer the aesthetic beauty of real hardwood combined with modern technology to enhance durability and ease of installation. It consists of a top layer of real wood veneer, supported by multiple layers of plywood, fiberboard, or high-density fiberboard (HDF). These layers are pressed together under high pressure to create a plank that mimics solid wood but is more resistant to changes in moisture and temperature. This construction makes engineered wood an excellent choice for various environments, including areas with fluctuating humidity, such as basements or kitchens.

The growing popularity of engineered wood floors can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, it offers a wide range of design options, as the top layer can be crafted from various wood species, including oak, maple, and walnut. Secondly, it’s easier to install than solid hardwood, as it can be installed using floating, glue-down, or nail-down methods. Lastly, its cost-effectiveness, especially when considering long-term durability and maintenance, makes it a smart investment for homeowners.

Understanding the Construction of Engineered Wood Planks

The construction of engineered wood flooring is what sets it apart from traditional hardwood. The top layer, or "wear layer," is a thin slice of real wood that provides the visual and tactile qualities of genuine hardwood. Beneath this layer, the core consists of multiple layers of plywood or high-density fiberboard (HDF), which are stacked in a crisscross pattern. This structure gives engineered wood its enhanced stability and resistance to warping, bending, or shrinking, which can occur with solid wood in humid or dry conditions.

The thickness of the wear layer varies, typically ranging from 1mm to 6mm. Thicker wear layers allow for the floor to be sanded and refinished more times, extending its lifespan. Meanwhile, the core layers are designed to enhance structural integrity. The crisscross pattern of the plywood layers minimizes expansion and contraction, making it ideal for environments with fluctuating temperatures. The base layer, typically made from softwood or another hardwood species, adds further stability to the plank.

Benefits of Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered wood flooring offers numerous benefits over traditional solid wood and other flooring options. One of the primary advantages is its dimensional stability. Unlike solid hardwood, which expands and contracts with changes in temperature and humidity, engineered wood is less prone to these fluctuations due to its layered construction. This makes it suitable for installation in areas where solid wood would typically not be recommended, such as basements or rooms with radiant heating.

Another key benefit is its versatility in design. Since the top layer is real wood, engineered flooring offers the same authentic appearance as solid hardwood, allowing you to choose from a wide range of species, finishes, and textures. Additionally, engineered wood is available in wider plank sizes, giving homeowners more flexibility when creating their desired aesthetic.

From a cost perspective, engineered wood is often more affordable than solid wood, especially when considering the long-term value. It also requires less maintenance and, depending on the thickness of the wear layer, can be sanded and refinished several times over its lifespan. Engineered wood planks are easier to install, making them ideal for DIY projects or quicker installations in both residential and commercial settings.

Engineered Wood Flooring Styles

Engineered wood flooring comes in a variety of styles, each suited to different design aesthetics. Some of the most popular styles include classic, modern, rustic, and distressed finishes. Classic engineered wood floors, like oak and maple, offer a timeless look that works well in both traditional and contemporary spaces. These floors often have a smooth finish and are available in various shades, from light to dark, allowing you to match the flooring to your interior décor.

For a more modern look, wider and longer planks are trending, as they create a streamlined, spacious feel. Exotic woods like bamboo and teak are also gaining popularity, adding a unique and luxurious touch to modern interiors. Rustic and distressed styles, on the other hand, provide a more textured and natural appearance, with features like hand-scraped surfaces and wire-brushed finishes that give the floor a weathered, lived-in look.

Customization options for engineered wood also include various finishes, from high gloss to matte, and different edge profiles, such as beveled or square edges, allowing for a truly personalized look.

How to Choose the Right Engineered Wood for Your Space

Choosing the right engineered wood flooring for your home or office requires careful consideration of factors like room usage, foot traffic, and existing interior design. If you’re installing flooring in a high-traffic area such as a hallway or living room, consider opting for engineered wood with a thicker wear layer that can withstand frequent use and be refinished multiple times. For spaces prone to moisture, like kitchens and basements, engineered wood with water-resistant core materials will perform better than traditional hardwood.

Your choice of wood species will also influence the overall look and feel of the room. Light-colored woods, such as oak or ash, can make a space feel larger and more open, while darker woods, such as walnut or mahogany, can add warmth and elegance to the space. The plank size and finish should complement your existing furniture and décor. For smaller rooms, wider planks can make the area appear more spacious, while narrower planks may be better suited to larger spaces to create a balanced look.

Conclusion

Engineered wood flooring offers the perfect combination of beauty, durability, and flexibility, making it a top choice for homeowners and designers alike. Its layered construction provides enhanced stability, making it suitable for a variety of environments, while its diverse styles and finishes ensure a perfect match for any interior design. Whether you're looking for a cost-effective alternative to solid hardwood or need a flooring solution for high-moisture areas, engineered wood delivers both performance and aesthetic appeal. With proper care, this flooring option can provide decades of use, making it a wise investment for any space.

[suzylwade]

LASSCO “Use soft fabrics in unusual ways: in frames or hung on walls. Ham House is the best example of how to do this, but we can’t all afford a set of tapestries, so why not plump for a pretty quilt or rug from the North Country? It will improve the scale of the room and soften the acoustics to give it an intimate air. There’s something quite grand about them but a bit of ostentation in moderation is fine. Our signature style at ‘LASSCO’ will always be English shabby chic, even though it’s been chewed over many times in gastropubs. The winning formula is always a combination of strong brownwood furniture, symmetrical arrangement and red and gold accents. Never underestimate the power of a reflective surface or soft wax finish, either. Subconsciously it implies a room is clean and well-maintained.” - Adrian Amos, Owner, ‘LASSCO’. Established in London’s East End ’LASSCO’ has dealt in reclamation and salvage since 1979. Bridging the gap between the demolition trade and architectural design - you’ll find architectural salvage, decorative and garden antiques, doors, entranceways, woodwork, pub, bygones, bathrooms, metalwork, panelling, lighting and reclaimed wood flooring. Plus ‘Brunswick House Café’ if you get a little peckish. London's best-known reclamation yard (which now has an Oxfordshire outpost) has been selling reclaimed goods for over 40 years. Goods range from the basic to the stupendous – go looking for a doorknob and leave with a wrought-iron balcony. All three venues have on-site restaurants. ‘LASSCO’, 30 Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall, London SW8 2LG. ‘Ropewalk’, 41 Maltby Street, Bermondsey, London SE1 3PA. ‘Three Pigeons’, London Road, Milton Common, Oxfordshire OX9 2JN. #neonurchin #neonurchinblog #dedicatedtothethingswelove #suzyurchin #ollyurchin #art #music #photography #fashion #film #design #words #pictures #love #dukeofbrunswick #vauxhall #jacksonboxer #brunswickhousecafé #curated #architecturalsalvage #demolitiontrade #extraordinary #ornate #architecturaldesign #adrianamos #LASSCO (at Lassco) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj40VctIrro/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[magnusmusings]

Mag 18 - The Man Upstairs

Christoph Rudenko, 12.12. 2008, Welbec house, Wandsworth, London. 

Christoph Rudenko lives on the ground floor of a five-story apartment building, and on the day he moved in he saw his upstairs neighbour (Toby Carlisle) smoking on the balcony. He caught a strange scent similar to pavement after rain on a hot day and off-chicken. Christoph got to know all his neighbours except for the man upstairs after a year, and only occasionally caught a whiff of that same smell, attributing it to hygiene issues. 

In 2004, Toby started hammering loudly on his walls and floor for about an hour at a time, which would happen once every two weeks. After 6 months of Christoph ignoring this behaviour, a package for Toby is accidentally delivered to his flat, so he goes upstairs to give it to him. The stench from the flat is overwhelming, and Toby snatches the package from his hand. Christoph noted that the wood around the door seemed “distressed” and was heavily stained. 

In late 2007, his mother’s health had started to decline and he tried to sell the flat to move in with her. A stain appeared on the roof, and he called a plumber in to check it out. It collapsed and poured out putrid smelling liquid and lumps of fat. 

Christoph charged upstairs and banged on the door, but found it slightly ajar. Inside the room, meat was hammered to every available surface except the closed windows in layers - with older meat having putrefied. Toby’s body is disfigured - covered in so many pockmarks and lesions that Christoph can no longer tell where his eyes are. He sees a huge pile of meat shift slightly before opening “all of its eyes”. The police arrived and removed the body and all the meat. He sold the flat and moved to Clapham, becoming a vegetarian. 

Notes: I think there’s strong evidence for dual relation of the flesh/the corruption - specifically because of the rotting aspect of things.  Martin is noted to be still “sick”. Potentially the asian man mentioned as one of his neighbours could be someone from the Han family? (just because it’s a flesh episode lol). Sasha and Tim worked on this. Martin is still off “sick”.

Entities: The flesh, the corruption

Names:

Toby Carlisle

Christoph Rodenko

Diana/Diane (elderly neighbour of Christoph)

[a-girl-mentioned]

Pest control Manchester - how much is it?

Our costs were last upgraded recently, we can additionally direct you in the appropriate instructions so you can obtain a rate for your pest control task.

A chemical powder is sprayed at the entry to the nest and the incoming wasps lug the residue into the nest where it exterminates the wasps.

In some severe cases, valuable products in the house might need to be warmth treated. Some exchangeable items, such as bed mattress and also rugs may require to be discarded.

You'll hardly ever see silverfish during the day or when the lights get on, they like the dark.

While Do It Yourself items can be bought online, these are only suitable for small invasions that have actually been identified early.

Pest Control in the UK - A Take A Look At Prices

This post is all about pest control costs and also how much you can expect to pay to remove wasps, woodworm, bed bugs, silverfish and rodent problems.

Bed Insect Treatment Price

Bed insects are notoriously difficult to eradicate.

These pests are considered a light bug as they do not send diseases although they are harmful as they take in paper, glues, silk as well as cotton.

If You Receive Benefits, conserve Money

Some councils supply significant discount rates to residents in their catchment area that receive means-tested benefits.

The typical cost of a 2-step chemical bed bug therapy program for a 2-bed residence is around ₤ 220. This rises to around ₤ 300 for either a 3-step program or a 3-bed home.

Anticipate to pay around ₤ 200 for a chemical treatment.

Expect to pay around ₤ 190 for a therapy program that entails two visits.

The average expense to treat woodworm in a 3-bed residence is between ₤ 450 and also ₤ 850 relying on the severity of the infestation.

See Manchester council's pest control catalog.

Wasp Nest Treatment Price

Wasp nests are exceptionally easy to deal with.

This overview includes a much more thorough take a look at woodworm prices in the UK.

Rat and Computer Mice Treatment Costs

Rats and also computer mice can be eradicated via a therapy strategy that includes lure boxes and poisonous substance.

To stop a re-infestation, actions will certainly require to be taken to eliminate their food sources. Your pest control professional can use custom recommendations.

Silverfish grow up to 19mm in length.

A lot of nests just need a single therapy and also you can anticipate all the wasps to be dead within 1 day.

Rat bait boxes as well as poison can be bought online as well as are really reliable.

Woodworm Obliteration

Woodworm usually flourishes in damp, moist as well as moist locations so it makes feeling to solve the damp issue. Just after that ought to a chemical wood therapy program be thought about.

Silverfish Elimination

Silverfish are little wingless insects that flourish under skirting boards, within fractures and also between flooring tiles in wet places such as bathrooms and cellars,

Also after an effective therapy, silverfish are likely to return unless you make your residence less silverfish "pleasant".

These pests are exceptionally hard as well as extremely challenging to eliminate. In most cases, a number of repeat chemical treatments will be needed. They do have one weak point though; they are really specific regarding their setting and dislike completely dry, sterile residences.

DIY items are offered online but are just suitable for nests that can be quickly reached.

At least 2 treatments are required, typically 2-- 3 weeks apart. Because the eggs are very resilient and also can survive a solitary dose, this is.

Fox as well as Feline Deterrents

If your garden is being destroyed by undesirable foxes as well as cats, have a look at our fox deterrent guide or our pet cat deterrent overview here.

There are loads of DIY products available online as well as much of them are of great top quality. The largest issue for the DIYer is gaining access to all the timbers, this could include lifting floor covering as well as rugs.

While there are DIY items offered they aren't most likely to be efficient against an insect as durable as silverfish.

The ordinary cost of a solitary wasp nest therapy is ₤ 65.00.

Floor and also wall surface ceramic tiles must be re-grouted to fill in any type of voids. Splits in walls as well as near skirting boards ought to be sealed and also extra light should be allowed into the area preferably.

We suggest you first call your local council as well as examine their costs for pest control if you get benefits.

As simply one instance; Wandsworth council costs ₤ 118 for a rat therapy but minimises this to ₤ 70.80 for sure benefit complaintants.

We recommend decluttering the residence and eliminating any kind of things that silverfish eat. Any damp problems ought to be settled and if needed, extra air flow introduced, particularly to the bathroom which is a prominent location for silverfish to grow.

Pest Busters (Manchester)

290 Moston Ln, Manchester M40 9WB, United Kingdom

+44 161 452 7166

[loretranscripts]

Lore Episode 31: Lost and Found (Transcript) - 4th April 2016

tw: murder, gore, blood, human remains, cannibalism

Disclaimer: This transcript is entirely non-profit and fan-made. All credit for this content goes to Aaron Mahnke, creator of Lore podcast. It is by a fan, for fans, and meant to make the content of the podcast more accessible to all. Also, there may be mistakes, despite rigorous re-reading on my part. Feel free to point them out, but please be nice!

Teenagers have a tendency to get up to mischief when they’re bored, that’s as true today as it ever has been. So, when four teenage boys found themselves with a spring afternoon on their hands, they did what any English lad might have done in 1943 – they went poaching. They were only hunting birds’ nests, really. It was April and spring meant nests full of eggs, so they went exploring in their area of Stourbridge, there in the midlands of England. Over the course of that afternoon, their search brought them to a private park known as Hegley Woods, and that’s where they saw the tree. It was a massive elm with an overgrown trunk that looked more like a hedgehog than a plant, with thin, whispy branches that stuck out toward the sky. Locals called it the “Wych Elm”. It was strong, it was climbable, and most importantly it was perfect for nesting, so one of the boys scaled up the side. When he reached the top and began to look for nests, he found something entirely different – a skull was staring up at him from the hollow centre of the tree. The boy assumed it was from an animal and plucked it free from the branches. That’s when he noticed how large it was, and the patches of hair that were still attached to it – human hair. The grisly discovery kicked off one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in modern England. Beneath the skull, lodged in the hollow centre of the tree, was a complete skeleton. It belonged to a young woman of unknown origin and unknown identity. No one stepped forward to claim the body, no killer was ever found, but the public fell in love, and named her, and to this day people still wonder: who put Bella in the wych tree? Humans, you see, are fascinated by dead bodies. They’re the centrepiece of countless mystery stories and a vivid reminder of our own mortality. We can see that fascination in both the innocent wonder of films like Stand by Me and the gruesome realism of CSI. Real life, though, is more complex, it’s more dark than we’d care to admit, and while the odds are good that most people won’t ever stumble upon a dead body, it’s a lot more common than you’d expect. Corpses should be hard to come by, but unfortunately that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m Aaron Mahnke and this is Lore.

In February of 2013, a number of guests at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles called down to the front desk to complain about the water in their rooms. Some described how their shower would run black before clearing up, others complained of the odd taste and odour, and that age-old compaint that we all know and love, poor water pressure, popped up time and time again. So, the maintenance crew was sent up to the roof where the hotel kept water tanks used to supply the rooms, and it’s one of the tanks that they discovered a body. A human body, no less, and it had been there for weeks. It turned out to be a missing woman named Elisa Lam. Her parents had reported her missing in early February, but she had been seen last there in the hotel on the 31st of January, and it had been her decomposing body that had been altering the hotel’s water supply. Finding bodies in unusual places isn’t a new thing, though, and it’s not uncommon, either. In January of 1984, three students from Columbia University were walking home to their dorm when they passed an old carpet, rolled up and discarded on the side of the street. Now, like a lot of you, I’ve been to college, so I think we can all agree that curbside discoveries are frequently wonderful. A random desk, or that ugly couch that’s way too comfortable to be ignored. So, it’s hard to blame these three students for bringing the rug home. When they unrolled it, though, they found a body inside. The man, roughly 20 years old, had been shot to death, as was evident from the bullet holes in his forehead. Needless to say, they didn’t keep the rug and the police were brought in to do a full investigation. In December of 1982, staff were called to a room in a hotel in New Burgen, New Jersey. Occupants complained of a powerful odour in the room, and they weren’t the first. For a number of days leading up to the call, each guest had complained of the same thing, and it seemed to be getting worse. The motel staff finally discovered why: it was the body of Gary Smith, who had been killed by his autotheft partners and stuffed beneath the bed in the room. They had poisoned his hamburger then strangled him when waiting got too hard, and finally hid the evidence beneath the mattress.

In 2011, Abbeville National Bank in Louisiana began renovations to their second floor, an area they had used for storage for decades. Running between the storage area and the active bank facilities was a chimney, and it was just inside the first floor fireplace where workers discovered a few small bones. Climbing inside the fireplace and looking up, they found the source. A body, now little more than a skeleton, had been lodged in the flue. Dental records connected the skeleton to a man reported missing 27 years earlier, in 1984. The man had a criminal record and had been in trouble with the law shortly before his disappearance. Police can’t prove why he was in the chimney, but given the proximity to the bank I feel its safe to guess that he’d been trying to rob it, Santa Claus style. In November of 2011, Russian police raided the home of a historian named Anatoly Moskvin. Inside, they found 29 life-sized dolls, all women, all dressed in fancy clothing. But they weren’t dolls at all. Moskvin, it turns out, was a graverobber with a fetish. For years, the historian had been visiting cemeteries all over western Russia, as many as 750 by some counts, and occasionally brought home corpses that “interested” him. All were females between the ages of 15 and 30, and all had been dead for a very long time. It seems, if we’re to believe the newspapers and media outlets, that stumbling upon a corpse isn’t as rare a thing as we might expect. Maybe it’s a product of the times – with more and more people on the planet, I suppose the odds keep going up that we’ll eventually open a wall or dig a garden bed and find a body. But some bodies are intentionally harder to find. Some killers go to great lengths to hide the evidence of their dirty deeds, and that’s really the core of these stories, isn’t it? Because hiding a body is about more than just making an object disappear. It’s about concealing a crime and escaping the consequences. The trouble is, when those hidden bodies are found, their stories often reveal the greatest horrors of all.

She wasn’t always known as Kate Webster. Sure, when she gave birth to her son in 1874, that was the surname she passed on to him. She claimed to have married a sailor named Webster, but he had died. A decade earlier, though, she had been someone else entirely. Kate Webster had been born Katherine Lawler to a poor family in a small, Irish village in 1849. While most children might have helped out at home or perhaps played with toys, Katherine grew up fast. She spent her childhood learning to pickpocket, and judging by the way the rest of her life played out, it’s a skill she’d been born with. At the age of 15 she was caught and imprisoned for a short time, but by 17, she managed to steal enough money to secure herself passage on a boat to England. But she didn’t use her journey as a chance to make a fresh start. No, Katherine Lawler just kept upping her game. Within a year of arriving in Liverpool, she was caught stealing and sentenced to four years in prison. Once released, she found work cleaning houses in London, as well as working as a prostitute – and then she became pregnant. The father, according to Kate, was a man she called “Mr. Strong”. He’d been her friend, her lover, and her partner in crime for many months, but when he learnt of the pregnancy he abandoned her. Her son, John Webster, was born in April of 1874, and those who knew her couldn’t help but wonder: would this help Kate change her ways? The answer, it turns out, was a clear and obvious no.

Rather than seek reform, Kate simply evolved. She would rent a room in a boarding house and once there, she would begin to sell off the furnishings in her room. When everything was gone, she’d move on and repeat the crime elsewhere. Another thing she repeated, sadly, was prison time. In 1875, while her son John was only a year old, Kate began serving an 18 month term in Wandsworth Prison there in London. It was one of the many stints in police custody, even though she moved around a lot and used various aliases to disguise herself. And all the while, her friend, Sarah Crease, helped by watching and caring for young John. Some think Sarah was an enabler, that she gave Kate the freedom to live her life of crime without the burden of parenthood, but others view Sarah as a hopeful friend. She saw a young boy who needed looking after and she did her best to help out. She also tried to get Kate a real, honest job, something that had the potential to turn the woman’s life around.

In 1879, Sarah’s employer asked if there was someone who could do some house cleaning for a friend of hers, a woman named Julia Martha Thomas. Mrs. Thomas lived in the Richmond area of London, she was a widow in her mid-50s, and had a reputation for being a little strict and prone to anger. But it was a job, and Sarah immidiately suggested Kate Webster. The relationship between Webster and Mrs. Thomas began cordially enough, but quickly devolved into daily arguments. Webster claimed that Mrs. Thomas would follow her around and criticise her work, while Mrs. Thomas claimed Webster came to work drunk most of the time. Needless to say, it wasn’t a match made in heaven, but the two women tried hard to make it work. After a little over a month, Julia Thomas decided it was time to cut Webster loose. Kate, to her credit, tried to change. She begged for just a few more days of employment and, for some unknown reason, Thomas agreed to the terms, but the relationship was eating at her like an ulser, and she couldn’t stop thinking about it. She thought that Kate was stealing from her, but she didn’t have proof yet, and she feared for her life. On March 2nd of 1879, Mrs. Thomas showed up at church clearly upset. She’d just had another argument with Webster, and it had shaken her deeply. Her friends claimed that Thomas seemed distracted and agitated, and she left early to go attend to matters at home. But Kate was waiting for her there, and this time, they would trade more than angry words.

Julia Thomas thought the house was empty, but went searching for Kate Webster anyway. They had unfinished business, and it was time Kate found some place else to work. It was settled – as far as she was concerned, at least. While Thomas was upstairs in the hallway, Webster stepped out of a dark room and attacked her employer. The two women struggled for a moment, and then Kate gave the older woman a shove. Thomas stumbled down the staircase where she slammed into the floor below. Her skull now fractured and bloody, she began to scream where she lay. Kate was immidiately concerned that the neighbours might hear. There was a busy pub right next door, and if someone happened to hear the shouting, Kate was sure to be discovered and arrested. Launching herself down the stairs, she sat upon the injured woman’s chest and began to squeeze her throat with both hands. She wanted the screaming to stop. She needed it to stop, and after a few tense moments, it did. Julia Thomas lay dead on the floor of her own home, and Kate Webster had graduated from theft to murder in the course of just a few heartbeats. But Kate was stronger than her fears, and she knew she had to act fast. She grabbed a razor, a meat saw and a carving knife and set about cutting Thomas’ body into pieces. Later  Webster would admit that, while she believed she had always had a strong stomach, this work in particular tested her limits. There had just been so much blood, she later told the police. Webster put the pieces into a large copper kettle and then boiled them in an attempt to reduce them to a more managable state. It was essentially rendering, a process where meat is cooked until the fat and protein separate. Witnesses would later come forward and talk of the stench coming from the home, but no one complained at the time. This was London in the late 19th century, perhaps people were just a little more forgiving of odd odours back then.

When the boiling was complete, Webster fished out each part from the remaining lard and placed them all into a box she found in the home – most of it, that is. She couldn’t seem to fit the head and one of the feet, so she had to get creative. She tossed the foot into a local trash heap, but the head was more problematic. In the end, she found a Gladstone bag, something like an old physician’s handbag, and stashed the head inside there. And then she cleaned the house, removing as much of the evidence as she could that something horrible had taken place there. It took her two full days to do it, but when she was finished, she put on a dress from her employer’s wardrobe and went to the pub next door to meet a friend for drinks. This friend, a Mrs. Porter, later told police that Webster arrived at the pub carrying a large, black bag. She kept it with her almost the entire evening, as if it contained something very valuable to her. Oddly, though, Webster excused herself from the table at one point, and when she returned a short while later, the bag was gone. Webster’s next order of business was to get rid of the box that contained what remained of Mrs. Thomas, so she enlisted the help of Mrs. Porter’s son to carry it out of the house and to nearby Barns Bridge. He carried the heavy box all the way to the bridge, and then she sent him home, claiming that a friend was on the way to meet her there. This boy would later tell police that, as he was walking away, he heard a large splash. It was as if something heavy had been tossed into the river. Webster had disposed of the body, and I can’t help but wonder if she perhaps sighed with relief when the box finally dipped beneath the surface of the Thames and vanished from sight. The following day, though, things got more complicated. Unware that the box containing Mrs. Thomas had actually floated to the surface and drifted to shore over night, Kate Webster dug in deeper. She took on the identity of her former employer while beginning to sell off all the items in the house. Old habits die hard, apparently. And it was about this time, according to a later witness, that Webster stepped outside and spoke to a pair of neighbourhood boys. She had two bowls in her hand, and they were steaming hot. She told them it was lard – from a pig, she added – and they were welcome to have it for free, if they wanted it. The boys ate two bowls each.

While the police were investigating the discovery of the box full of body parts, they had no clues that might point them to the killer responsible. It even took them a bit of time to figure out that the parts were actually human rather than butcher cast-offs, but even then, all they could be sure of was that the victim had been a middle-aged woman. Kate Webster, meanwhile, was making money hand over fist. She sold off the smaller items first – the jewellery, the knick-knacks, even her victim’s gold teeth – and then began to spread word that the furniture was for sale as well. And that lead to an agreement with a local man, who arrived on March 9th with a small group of men to help him carry the items out of the house. A neighbour woman saw the activity and approached one of the remaining men. “Who ordered the removal of these items?” she asked him. The man simply turned and pointed to Kate Webster, who stood on the front steps of the house. “She did,” he replied, “Mrs. Thomas.” When the police finally arrived, they entered the house and immidiately found signs of something tragic: a charred finger bone in the fireplace, bloodstains on the floor, splatters of grease – or lard – around the copper kettle. But the one thing they wanted to find, a killer, was nowhere to be seen. Kate Webster had skipped town. In the end, the authorities tracked her down in Ireland. She’d taken her son and made her way back to her hometown as fast as she could. When she arrived, she did so while still wearing clothing and jewellery taken from Mrs. Thomas. But her stay there was short-lived – the local police chief, the man who 15 years earlier had put her in jail for the first time, recognised her in the bulletin from Scotland Yard and quickly took her into custody. Everything after that moved quickly. Webster was transported back to England, and at every train stop between Liverpool and London, crowds gathered to jeer and shout at her. By March 30th, she had been formally charged with murder.

Of course, she tried to lie her way out of it. This was the woman who had changed her name dozens of times to outsmart the police, who had moved into room after room and sold off the possessions inside. She was a thief and a liar, so it was only natural for her to try and talk her away out of this too. First, she blamed the murder on Henry Porter, the husband of her friend from the pub, but when his alibi held up she shifted the blame to the man who had come to buy the furniture from the Thomas house. He too was easily dismissed. When it appeared that she wouldn’t be able to squirm out from under the charge of murder, she took credit for the crime, but claimed that she only did it because others told her to. In the end, none of it worked. The formal trial began on July 2nd of 1879, and just six days later, the jury declared her guilty. The judge, a man named Justice Denman, sentenced her to be executed. Yes, Judge Justice – I can’t make these things up. When asked if there was any reason why she should not be executed, Webster told the judge yes, insisting that she was in fact pregnant. A new jury of women were gathered together along with a physician, and after examining Webster they declared that the pregnancy, like everything else the woman had said, was also a lie. She returned to Wandsworth Prison, where she had served time before working for Mrs. Thomas, and it was there that she wrote her formal confession. She described all of the details of the murder, right down to how she burned the internal organs to get rid of them, how she chose her tools, and even how she removed the head. On July 29th, Kate Webster stepped onto the platform inside the prison’s execution chamber, a building that was ironically nicknamed “The Cold Meatshed”. A governer announced the time, a priest administered last rights, and then she was guided onto the trapdoors with a sack over her head. Afterward, she was buried in an unmarked grave, right there at the prison. The records of Wandsworth Prison contain the names of 134 people who were executed over the span of 110 years. Kate Webster was the only woman on that list.

It’s hard to nail down the real reason behind our fascination with death, but it’s safe to at least make a guess. Death puts our mortality on display. No matter how hard we try to avoid it as a topic, to ignore its slow, steady approach from the distance, we can’t seem to get away from it. Whether we want it or not, death will come for us all one day, and the dead body stands as that singular, visceral reminder of our death. In the horror movies, it’s the clue that’s dropped into our laps early on in the film. It highlights the danger our heroes find themselves in, it represents what’s at stake, what could happen if they fail and the true power of the killer. When the London police pulled the box containing the remains of a women from the cold waters of the Thames, they didn’t know a lot, but they did know one thing. There was a killer in London, and whoever it was needed to be stopped. Thankfully, they managed to do just that, but in a wild twist of irony, the body of Julia Thomas has been lost. It might have been a result of the way evidence was handled in the late 19th century, or the state of decay when the remains were found. Whatever the reason, there’s no grave for Julia Thomas, no tombstone with her name etched into the surface. Her body was lost, and then found, and then finally lost again. Well, most of it. As luck would have it, the neighbourhood where her house once stood has gone through some renevation. In October of 2010, a wealthy London homeowner was having an addition built in his backyard, when the work crew unearthed something small and white. It was a skull. The teeth were missing, but there was a fracture at the back of the head, and after doing a bit more research, investigators determined that the structure that once stood in the homeowner’s backyard was a stable – a stable behind the pub that stood next door to Julia Thomas. Her body might be lost forever into the pages of history, but the head that Kate Webster had tried so hard to get rid of has finally been recovered. Oh, and the wealthy homeowner who stumbled upon the skull? None other than English naturalist, Sir David Attenborough.

[Closing statements]

[surreybells]

Spring Training Day, 9 March 2019

Some comments from students and helpers:

I attended my first training session run by the Surrey Association at Merton St John on Saturday along with two other learners (another was unable to attend).  As always, all the helpers were most welcoming, encouraging and helpful in giving constructive feedback.  The session was adeptly run by David Whitehead who took us through ringing up and down, call changes (up, down and places), kaleidoscope ringing (including ‘Mexican Wave’, which was lot of fun!), and an introduction into Plain Hunt on 4.  It was a very full morning which I found extremely beneficial, as I am sure the other learners did too.  Tim’s homemade chocolate brownies kept us going too!  Many thanks to all involved for giving up their time to enable us learners to progress.

Wendy Archibald (Barnes)

Merton St John

This was my first time as a helper at an association training day, it was also my first visit to St Marys Barnes. This was an excellent venue for our session with its ground floor ringing chamber and constant supply of tea/coffee. We also had the use of the bells on simulator to enable us to keep any erratic ringing to ourselves.

Paul Flavell, our group leader, divided the students into groups. There were sessions on hand bells and ringing software which enables timing and methods (plain hunt etc) to be practised at home. I was kept busy working with the students to help smooth out their ringing and improve their handling where necessary.

Together with the students I found the whole experience very friendly and worthwhile.    Thankyou Paul (and Kate) for running this event so smoothly.

Richard Fitch (Beddington)

Barnes Group learning Abel / Mobel

Beautiful venue (Fulham), excellent leader and 6 wonderful helpers from local bands.

A thoroughly enjoyable morning of learning and ringing with a strong band around all 4 learners, all at different levels of ability.  Martin was calm, organised and encouraging and even though we got off to a rocky start at the ringing up, we soon familiarised ourselves with the heavier bells and each of us made good progress.  

The one-to-one coaching allowed Martin and Asher to get their message across well by breaking down everything into simplified sections of theory and then supervising us putting it into practice.  It also enabled the instructors to gauge our different needs and level of skill thereby tailoring the morning to get the best results.

Although Martin had said at the outset that it was a very common feeling amongst learners to feel a bit despondent at slow progress we all felt positive with the results of today’s training and looked forward to returning to our own towers and continuing to ring.  

The 3 hours flew by (for us anyway) and we had some fun with call changes and standing the bell. There was lots of opportunity to ring and handle the ropes today and we really felt that the focus was on us. After the session, we gathered at a local eatery and had the chance to socialise and discover more about the learning opportunities available to us in the ringing community.

At the end of the day the consensus was that the day had gone well with every learner making progress and we all took away something new to help us with our ringing.   Thank you so much to Martin, Asher & Kate, Trisha, Paula, Malcolm and Eddie who all gave up their Saturday to support us.

Maggie, Fiona, Claire & Sarah (Epsom Common)

Students and teachers at Fulham

We had three students and six helpers at Beddington, and the students took turns to sit out and learn the theory, then put it into practice with someone standing with them.  At the end of the session all three learners managed to complete a plain course together - which was not possible at the start of the morning!  Many thanks to all our helpers, and especially Noel, for explaining the method so clearly and using multiple different explanations to help our different brains!

I was delighted to be able to do a touch of Doubles and finish up with a touch of Plain Bob Minor without too many hiccups.  It was a really useful session.

Sue Sullivan (Epsom Common)

Beddington

I've always wanted to ring at St Mary's Church Wimbledon having passed it many times over the years, so I was very pleased that this was the location picked for our Foundation Training skills event.  Following introductions and a brief summary our ringing experience we covered the basic skills required for good bell control along with advice and encouragement from all the team.  

We practised ringing rounds, trying to ring steadily and then moved on to long places.  We also had an opportunity to go outside and hear the bells rung by the band so that we could listen to the sound of steady ringing compared to some bells ringing too fast or slow.  It was a great listening exercise for the students although perhaps not for the residents of Wimbledon!  

We were a mixed group of students with various levels of experience, but all of us were given time and attention to improve an aspect of our ringing.  Including trebling to Bastow, ringing the tenor, and an attempt at plain hunt.  By the end of the session it was clear that improvements had been made.  

Following an early finish, we had time to go over some of the theory of plain hunt and Ian has some great props and techniques to help make the explanation memorable, which included pictures of fish (plaice versus place).🐟!  Many thanks to Ian and the rest of the band for their patience, encouragement and advice.

Chris Mahalski (Streatham)

Wimbledon Group

Thank you for arranging the training session at St. Mary Barnes on Saturday. It must be a logistical nightmare!  I much enjoyed the morning, both ringing and meeting other ringers.

I found the first session with all beginners on the ropes a bit frustrating as I could not get into any rhythm ringing rounds.  However the time on the simulator was very useful and good practice for me.

The final session of ringing rounds and call changes once the bells were unclamped was really great. I feel that that is now the practice that I need.

Jo Teverson (Barnes)

St Mary’s Barnes

We had over 40 applications for student places at Spring Training Day – not quite a record but enough to run eight groups including a special session at Barnes for new learners from 2018, and several groups for elementary change ringing.  We could have done with some more helpers as ever, so many thanks to helpers and students who applied to come on the day.

Overall the feedback (above and feedback forms) has been very positive and we have learned a few lessons about organisation of future training days.   The long morning only session is a bit more intensive but has generally been well received as people can relax over lunch and get home early. Also people do seem to prefer to travel straight to the towers and go straight home afterwards, although it is a shame that means there is no social gathering at the end of the day.

To make the day really productive, students should try and follow up their courses with more practise at practice nights and local meetings as soon as possible.

Paul Flavell   Surrey Training Officer                                                                            

training@surreyassociation.org.uk

Carshalton

Colliers Wood

Wandsworth, West Hill

[osbond-tutt]

THE BEST WOOD FINISHING COMPANY IN LONDON | OSBOND & TUTT Ltd.

Wood has been used for a long time for making furnishings including tables, mattress frames, and sofas. As a herbal material, timber is prone to the consequences of ageing this means that it may end up dried out, cracked, or stained. Since biblical times, and probably before, humans have diagnosed the usefulness of coating timber surfaces with oils, balms, and unguents. Early ancient debts were determined with commands for the use of linseed or cedarwood oil to deal with timber surfaces. Other herbal oils used for sharpening timber consist of tung, and Perilla oils. 

By the fourteenth century, beeswax became used to deal with inlaid timber and parquetry flooring in France. Beeswax has become a totally famous timber polish however needed to be implemented with warm irons after which hand buffed. Despite this drawback, beeswax, every so often combined with tough animal fats, remained the important shape of polish till the past due eighteenth century. In 1797, a herbal plant wax, referred to as carnauba wax, became determined at the leaves of the Brazilian cerara palm. Carnauba wax is tough, excessive melting and, while nicely compounded, imparts an excellent shine without all of the buffing required through beeswax. By the 19th century, different waxes had been determined and polishes had been evolved that applied blends of carnauba with ouricui, candelilla, esparto, sugar cane, cotton fiber, flax, palm, hemp and raffia waxes.

Today those formulations integrate herbal waxes and oils with petroleum primarily based totally substances and artificial polymers. These present day formulations can ease the movie residue and lay down new polish in an easy step so periodic stripping of vintage polish layers isn't always necessary.

The predominant motive in the back of furnishings polish is to offer the timber safety towards usual damage. Abrasions arise at the timber, for example, in case you slide a plate with a small chip on its base throughout the desk. Polish protects the desk from scratching. But whilst you polish furnishings or flooring frequently with  liquid products, you assist to maintain them searching new at the same time.

Of course, you may select to strive your very own hand at sharpening your timber. However, it's tough to select and gather the proper form of polish, now no longer to say make investments exceeding quantities of effort and time to do it.

Instead, simply get in touch with us! Osbond and Tutt’s specialists are right here to help you. Our group of experts will assist you make a decision on the form of polish you want. They will deal with the entire technique for you,which includes checking if the furnishings are new or have current polish that has deteriorated over time.

 WHAT WE DO?

Antique Furniture Restoration.

Traditional French polishing.

Complete furnishings repair - functional and     aesthetic.

Staining and color matching.

Cleaning and reviving of existing finishes.

Stripping and polishing to match original     finishes.

Veneer and inlay repair.

Removing white heat marks.

Removing water damage.

Traditional liming.

Touching in / removing scratches by hand.

Lacquering by hand.

Desktop and furnishings Re-Leathering.

Distressing.

Grain Filling.

Contemporary Spray Finishes.

Building maintenance on all timber items.

Specialist Surface Repair.

Bar top stripping and re-finishing.

Fire retardant finishes.

Specialist one off colors.

Specialist Waxing and Oiling.

External weather finishes.

Alcohol resistant finishes.

Water resistant finishes.

Gilding Repairs.

Floor stripping by hand, re-finishing in wax,     oil, acrylic or solvent lacquer.

Floor Refinishing.

Wood Flooring installations using new and     reclaimed timber.

Outdoor Wooden Furniture Restoration.

 HOW TO CONTACT US?

For further information, please contact us on: 07850 431853 / 020 8879 1085 or e-mail us on  info@osbondandtutt.co.uk. You can also visit our studio at Studio One, 52  Lydden Road, Wandsworth, London, SW18 4LR.

For more information, visit our website www.osbondandtutt.co.uk.

[huntsmore]

Huntsmore helped appoint the main contractor to engage in the build works and the client selected additional specialist contractors (kitchen supplier, wood flooring, windows, carpet). We project managed these separate parties and liaised with them to ensure they executed their portions of the build at the appropriate times.

[architectnews]

The Garrison Houses, Southend-on-Sea

The Garrison Houses, Southend-on-Sea Homes, English Architects, Essex Architecture Images

The Garrison Houses in Southend-on-Sea

16 Oct 2020

The Garrison Houses

Design: Hedgehog Architects Location: Shoeburyness, Southend-on-Sea, Essex

The Garrison Houses are modern, new build providing a bold development of five contemporary townhouses which take their cue from both the existing residential architecture in the surrounding area and their coastal environment.

“… the project is a stones throw from the beach, with kite surfers enjoying the sea and dog walkers walking along the grassy headlands.”

These deceptively spacious 1900 sq ft four/five bedroom properties are located under an hour commute from London by train. This takes advantage of people’s changing lifestyle, so working from home by the coast and/or commuting to London are all possible.

The rhythmic roofline, linear forms, tonal and textural articulation of this terrace was designed to echo the coastal landscape and reflect its atmosphere. Whilst the projecting square arches, were created in reflection to the existing two-storey housing opposite. These townhouses fit harmoniously into their environment, of neighbouring old yellow stock houses and yet are distinctly unique from the surrounding architecture.

Each townhouse uses a palette of hard-wearing durable materials which successfully complement their environment. The contrast of the warm sand toned brick and natural wood reflects the shore, with the robust metallic grey brick, slate roofs and modern industrial metalwork, which are carefully detailed and balanced to express softness within a strong substantial presence.

The terrace of houses incorporate large integral garages for cars, bikes and boats 2.7m in height to provide car free exteriors, enabling substantial storage for the residents and sleek uninterrupted lines across the building frontage. Each garage is fitted with power for electric cars. The front doors to the houses are imposing black aluminium panelled doors with side-lights and long elegant stainless steel handles.

Once through the hallway, filled with natural daylight from the roof light above the central staircase, you enter directly into the heart of the home. An inviting dual-purpose, flexible, living space with high specification interiors

The kitchen is designed to have a central timber core surrounded by black faced cabinetry with the effect of polished plaster and concealed openings.

The worktop of the central island unit is black granite harmonising with the black kitchen cupboard units and black sink.

Large Porcelanosa 800 x 800 cm tiles, with under floor heating throughout the ground floor, provide a vision of the appearance of a concrete floor.

Additionally the imposing full height Crittall style aluminium windows within the central elevation of each building, maximize the natural luminosity, creating spacious light-filled family homes. Whilst floor to ceiling aluminium black Crittall style doors run the length of the kitchen/dining room and open out onto the private courtyard to the rear, which is cleverly created with the use of burnt larch as a sustainable external dividing panel, providing privacy from the neighbours.

There is also a downstairs cloakroom toilet/future shower and utility room both with underfloor heating.

The staircase is lit from above through a roof light which allows light to penetrate down to the ground floor.

On the middle level, are three bedrooms, and a large living room and family bathroom. The top floor is characterised by a symmetrical vaulted roof profile to the whole of the upper floor housing a dressing room and master bedroom suite with access onto a large roof terrace.

Photovoltaic solar panels, are located on the roof of each house, providing free electricity to the occupants.

The master bedroom, with en-suite shower room, has tall slot windows to the front elevation which embrace the vaulted ceiling , providing a sense of light and volume within the room. There are sliding doors with direct private access onto the roof terrace.

The design maximised on its proximity to the seaside environment almost located on the beachfront itself. Its choice of quality materials and geometric shapes created an iconic inclusive luxury terrace.

Design: Hedgehog Architects

Photography: Timothy Soar

The Garrison Houses, Southend-on-Sea images/information received 161020

Location: Shoeburyness, Southend-on-Sea,Essex, England, UK

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[crackspinewornpages]

The Time Machine 13/13 -H.G. Wells

8

The Green Palace had fallen into ruin and he sees creeks where he thinks Wandsworth and Battersea were, he had never thought of what the things in the sea were affected. (yeah, the whales are extinct by the 21st century) The palace was made of porcelain and had an unknown inscription on the walls and a long gallery with a tiled floor and objects covered in cloth and a large creature’s skeleton, weather worn and another of a Brontosaurus. It was a museum and on shelves found objects of his own time. The fossils that were there had decayed though most bacteria were extinct it worked its way slowly and some relics of the Eloi with some removed by the Morlocks. (what for)

Then it came to him how large the place was, it might even have a library. He searched and found a block of Sulphur that can make gun powder, but he couldn’t find nitrates, possibly disappeared over time. (nitrates are natural chemicals found in soil air and water and stop bacteria growth how can they be gone) He looked around more and found a hall of decayed natural history then a hall that was built on a hill and sloping with shattered glass globes on the ceiling but found broken down machines and thought if he could solve them, he could beat the Morlocks. (do you even know what these machines are for all we know they could make ice cream) Weena came close and startled him as he was so engrossed, her worry let him know of the decreasing light but did notice in the dust there were footprints and he still had no weapons, or fire and began to hear pattering in the darkness. (get the fuck out)

An idea came to him and he had left Weena and took a lever from a machine and returned to her and looked for any sign of a Morlock as he really wanted to kill one. “Very inhuman, you may think, to want to go killing one’s descendants! But it was impossible, somehow, to feel any humanity in the things.” p.82 (allow me to quote the 2002 movie “Who are you to question eight hundred thousand years of evolution?”) Only Weena and the state of the Time Machine stopped him from slating his thirst for blood and left the gallery and in the next saw tattered flags and rotting books falling to pieces and words faded to nothing, “Had I been a literary man I might, perhaps, have moralized upon the futility of all ambition.”p.83 But he was only effected by the waste of labor. (all our achievements turn to dust and no one remembers) Walking in the hall of technical chemistry he lost hope of finding something useful until, in an unbroken case, found a box of matches that still lit (how convenient) and danced and sang in joy. (when did this book turn into a musical)

He did think finding the matches was strange and even more strange he found camphor sealed away surviving thousands of centuries making an excellent candle, (thank you magic plot fairy) though he didn’t find any explosives he left elated. He can’t tell them everything that happened that day, but he does remember trying to carry different weapons and found others that were now useless and wrote him name on a nose steatite monster from South America that he liked. (people have always been people) He explores the galleries all day until finding a model of a tin mine and sealed dynamite and shouts Eureka but decides to test one in a gallery and is disappointed when there was no explosion of course they were dummies. (no shit why would anyone keep live explosives in a museum) They found a court with fruit trees and stopped as night was coming, and they had no shelter, but it didn’t bother him so much because he had matches and camphor and it would be best to pass the night with fire. He hoped the bronze doors of the sphinx would yield to his iron bar.

9

When the sun rose, he was determined to reach the sphinx by the next day and planned to go as far as possible that night with fire and sleep. As they went, he gathered dry brush slowing them down and it was night before they reached the wood, Weena stopped and his sense of doom drove him on, going without sleep for two days he felt it creeping up on him and the Morlocks. (yes go without sleep for 48 hours want to be in tip top shape to beat off cannibals) While they waited in the bushes, he saw three figures and didn’t feel safe, the wood was about a mile across and felt the bare hillside was safer. He could illuminate the path, but he would have to abandon the dry brush, but then he had an idea to light it there only to later know what a bad idea that was. (did Smokey the Bear teach you nothing)

Fire was rare now in this time, temperate climate, mellow sun, lightning doesn’t rise fire and fermenting foliage doesn’t combust, (I call bullshit) “In this decadence, too, the art of fire-making had been forgotten on the earth.”p.88 (kinda sad since fire making is what allowed our ancestors to survive and evolve into us) He had to stop Weena from playing with it, picked her up and saw it creeping up the hill and turned into the tress with her an the iron bar. He heard nothing but his breathing and snapping twigs and a pattering behind him with their odd voices closing in on him and felt a tug on his coat. He had to put Weena down to get a match and struggled while the Morlocks touched him while he got it lit. He picks up the camphor and Weena and throws the lit camphor into the wood to drive away the Morlocks. (you just threw a lit candle into the dry woods)

Weena had feinted and when he rose realized he was all turned around and didn’t know where to go. He decided to build a fire and camp and as he gathered the dry leaves saw the Morlock’s eyes in the darkness. As he lit a match saw two approaching Weena and ran off into him and he punched it away. As he gathered more dry brush he noticed how dry the wood was, in his week he was there, there was no rain (didn’t it hail when you arrived) and he started to gather tree branches. Weena wouldn’t rouse and he didn’t know if she was breathing. (why bother to check) After all the exertion he sat down nodding off and waking in the dark with the Morlocks upon him and his matches were gone. The Morlocks jumped on him and he went down with them biting at him he grabbed his iron bar and starting swinging until he was free. He was determined to make them pay and beat at them, but none came close enough and he thought they were afraid. He then saw the wood lighting up and the Morlocks running from behind him now scorched and he saw the sparks and smelt the burning wood. (well ya done fucked up)

Looking back, he saw the burning forest the fire he made coming after him, he looked for Weena, but she was gone. The fire was coming closer and he followed the Morlocks coming to an open space only for a Morlock to run past him and into the fire. (winner of the Darwin Award) The whole space was as bright as the day, a circle of fire. (bring on the fire bring on the hell set everything ablaze so that no trace remains) There were forty Morlocks on the hillside dazzled by the light blinded, he struck at them and they attacked each other. The fire waned and burned more, he avoided the Morlocks looking for Weena, but she was gone.

He sat and watched the blind Morlocks fumbling around and smoke rising. He tried to tell himself it was a nightmare and tried to wake and as he went on the Morlocks diminished and the sun rose. He looked again for Weena and concluded they had left her body in the forest relieved she had escaped its fate and stopped himself from killing the Morlocks. (cause burning/suffocating to death is such a pleasant way to die) Now he could see the Green Palace and get his bearings and left for the sphinx feeling horrible for Weena’s death, but now in his time it feels more like a dream than a loss, but then he was lonely again. “I began to think of this house of mine, of this fireside, of some of you, and with such thoughts came a longing that was pain.” p.95 Then he discovered some matches were left in his pocket.

10

He finds the yellow metal again and saw the same beautiful scene he did when he first came. He saw the people running about and felt pain when he finally understood, “Very pleasant was their day, as pleasant as their day of the cattle in the field. Like the cattle, they knew of no enemies and provided against no needs. And their end was the same,” p.96 He grieved the dream of human intelligence driving to comfort and security. “The rich had been assured of his wealth and comfort, the toiler assured of his life and work.” p.97 This world without any more questions had quietness to follow. The Law of Nature looks for change and danger, animal at harmony with the environment, intelligence until instinct is useless. “There is no intelligence where there is no change and no need of change.” p.97 The upperworld drifted to feebleness, underworld to industry and now permanency. The underworld was disjointed, necessity came back to them and with no more food turned to the forbidden. (you guys ever hear of the Mouse Utopia experiment it didn’t end well and some see it as a prediction of our future Today I Found Out did a video on that too and Fredrik Knudsen)

After last night the warm sun was pleasant and he soon fell asleep and woke again before sunset. He went down to the sphinx with the iron bar and matches and was surprised to see the bronze door was already open. (hmm) He hesitated to enter on a platform inside was the Time Machine (was the machine under a box propped up with a stick) and he had the lever all his preparations for a surrender and he threw away the iron bar. (famous last actions) He entered and found the machine oiled and cleaned and suspected the Morlocks took it apart to find out how it worked. Then the doors shut, and he laughed at the Morlocks thinking he’s trapped. He heard them and tried to light a match only to remember he needed the box. (why not just use a ruff surface) His calm vanished, and they were on him he tried to fight and get to the machine’s levers. He beat them off, fixed the lever and pulled it to find himself in the grey light.

11

He clung to the machine as it swayed and looked at the time dials as it read thousands of millions of days and the landscape changed, night and day grew slower the sun rising and, growing redder, the moon was gone. (how) The earth now faces the sun like the moon once did for earth. (ok I don’t know what he means by this) He drew the lever until he saw a desolate beach, he got up and looked around, the sky wasn’t blue anymore, black and red and lichen now covered the rocks. The beach had no waves, there was no wind, there was only an oily swell and sometimes broke pink under the sky and the air was thinner. He heard a scream and saw a huge butterfly disappear over the hillocks. (do butterflies scream I guess their giant descendant do in  the future but how they survived I don’t know) He sat back on the Time Machine and noticed a monstrous crablike creature, as he was watching it he felt a tickle at his cheek and grabbed it to find it was the antennae of another crab descending on him. He pulled the lever ahead a month on the same beach for dozens more to be there. (the Eloi, Morlocks and these giant crab creatures that Wells created started a whole genre of speculative zoology it’s really quite interesting and Ben G Thomas has three videos explaining the history) and  He can’t properly cover the sense of desolation on the world and moved forward another hundred years to a dimmer sun, same sea lichen and crustacea and a sliver of a new moon. (didn’t he just say there was no moon or did another magically appear like his shoes)

He kept travelling with short stops for thousands of years wanting to know earth’s fate. The sun grew larger and duller and in thirty million years it grew to obscure a tenth of the sky. (in five billion years the sun will be a red giant not millions) He stopped and aside from lichen, the beach was lifeless and snowing. He noticed the sun had a shadow that grew larger, it was an eclipse of an inner planet, the air and wind grew colder the world was silent. “All the sounds of Men, the bleating of sheep, the cries of birds, the hum of insects, the stir that makes the background of our lives-all that was over.” p.105 The snow hills became black and the stars were gone. He felt nauseous and saw something move in the shoal something alive, trailing tentacles, he dreaded staying and climbed back on the machine. (something a bit poetic about watching the final moments of the last creature on earth as the world dies the inevitable fate of all)

12

He came back watching the sun and sky turn gold and blue and humanity came back as the dial turned to the starting point in the laboratory and he stopped. He recalls the oddness of seeing Mrs. Wachett’s after image walking through. He stopped in his laboratory just as he left it, got off the machine and trembled violently until he calmed down as it could have all been a dream, but the machine was in a different direction and it shows the distance from the sphinx. (if the cave vault whatever was slightly raised or underground wouldn’t it be as well the landscaped changes so wouldn’t he have one point been in the earth, air or water) He came through the door and confirmed the date, heard them in the dinning room, opened the door and told them the story. He knows it sounds incredible to them, but the most incredible thing is he’s there talking to them. He turns to the Medical Man and says he can believe it was a dream, a made-up story, but as that, what does he think of it. (well I don’t know this is a lot to take in)

Narrator looked around at the audience the Medical Man seemed absorbed in the story, the Editor was smoking his sixth cigar (six how many does he go through in a day) and the Journalist played with his watch, the others were motionless. The Editor says it’s a pity he doesn’t write stories, Time Traveler said he thought he wouldn’t believe it and asks for matches saying he hardly believes it and looks at the withered flowers as the Journalist suggest going home. The Medical Man wants to take the flowers to examine, but Time Traveler won’t let him, and he’s asked where he got them. Time Traveler breaks down explaining Weena put them there when he traveled in time, everything is too much, is it all a dream, “They say life is a dream, a precious poor dream at times-but I can’t stand another that won’t fit.”p.110 But where did it come from his machine has answers.

He left and they followed to see the Time Machine, dirty and dinged from travel. Time Traveler says the story is true and they leave him for the smoking room. (such understanding friends) The Medical Man hesitated, and Narrator remembers saying goodnight, he got into a cab with the Editor who thought it was all lies. Narrator was awake all-night thinking about it and returned to the laboratory, but it was empty, and he touched the machine before leaving and met Time Traveler in the smoking room who had a camera and knapsack. (at least he has some supplies this time) Narrator asks if it’s really a hoax, Time Traveler claims to really travel in time and will only take a half an hour and asks him to stay, he does. As Time Traveler shuts the door Narrator remembers another appointment and goes to tell him but as he was the door, he heard a noise and breaking glass and Time Traveler wasn’t there and the phantom image vanished and the machine was gone too, the laboratory was empty. Narrator was amazed and at a loss to explain. (he time traveled he told you he could and you saw him do it) He stayed waiting for him to return, “But I am beginning now to fear that I must wait a lifetime. The Time Traveler vanished three years ago. And, as everybody knows now, he has never returned.” p.113 (the fuck happened to him)

Epilogue

He wonders if he will return, he could have gone back to the past full of savages or the abyss of the Cretaceous Sea or the Jurassic times. He could be on some Plesiosaurus coral reef lakes of the Triassic Age. (better hope the Department of Temporal Investigations don’t get on his ass) He could have gone forward where men are still men and our problems are solved. (well it won’t be in the last 100+ years) He can’t believe the present is man’s culminating time, (course not it’s 1895 you don’t even have the polio vaccine yet) they discussed it before the Time Machine was built on the advancement of man, civilizations falling back to destroy its makers in the end. (such a pessimist) If that’s true we must live as though it isn’t. But to him the future is still blank, he still has the flowers and it comforts him, “-to witness that even when mind and strength had gone, gratitude and a mutual tenderness still lived on in the heart of Man.” p.115 (I like this little hopeful note at the end also I just found out this book had a sequel written in 1995 The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter that’s supposed to have a larger story plot and answer some questions but I don’t plan to read it any time soon)

FIRST

[floorings101]

Why Choose Engineered Wood Flooring for Your Home?

Choosing the right flooring for your home can be a daunting task, with countless materials and styles available on the market. Engineered wood flooring has become a popular option for homeowners looking for the timeless appeal of hardwood, but with additional durability and versatility. Combining the beauty of natural wood with the resilience of modern engineering, this type of flooring offers a wide range of benefits that make it suitable for nearly any room in the house. In this article, we’ll explore why engineered wood flooring might be the perfect fit for your home, covering its key features, installation methods, and long-term advantages.

What is Engineered Wood Flooring?

Engineered wood flooring is a type of hardwood flooring that consists of multiple layers of wood, rather than a single solid piece. The top layer, known as the wear layer, is made of real hardwood, providing the authentic appearance and texture of solid wood. Below this wear layer, multiple layers of plywood or high-density fiberboard (HDF) are stacked in a cross-grain configuration. This layered construction increases the floor’s stability, making it more resistant to changes in temperature and humidity compared to solid wood.

The beauty of engineered wood flooring is that it offers the same rich and elegant look as traditional hardwood, but with improved durability and performance. The wear layer can come in a variety of wood species, including oak, maple, walnut, and cherry, allowing homeowners to match their flooring with any design style. The thickness of the wear layer varies by product, and thicker layers can even be sanded and refinished multiple times, extending the floor’s lifespan.

Overall, engineered wood flooring offers a combination of aesthetic appeal and practical benefits that make it a popular choice for modern homes. Its versatility and ease of installation make it a viable option for a range of spaces, from living rooms to basements.

How is Engineered Wood Different from Solid Wood Flooring?

While both engineered wood and solid wood flooring have a similar appearance, they are constructed in very different ways. Solid wood flooring is made from a single piece of wood, which gives it a classic, timeless look but also makes it more susceptible to environmental changes. Solid wood expands and contracts with fluctuations in humidity and temperature, making it more prone to warping, especially in areas like basements or humid climates.

In contrast, engineered wood is designed to counteract these issues. Its multi-layered construction provides more dimensional stability, meaning it is less likely to warp, shrink, or expand. This makes engineered wood ideal for areas that experience temperature or moisture changes, such as kitchens or bathrooms, where solid wood would be a risky choice.

Another key difference is installation flexibility. Solid wood floors typically need to be nailed or glued down, whereas engineered wood can be installed in various ways, including floating installations, making it easier and quicker to install. Engineered wood is also compatible with underfloor heating systems, which is not the case for most solid wood floors. While solid wood can be sanded and refinished multiple times over its lifespan, engineered wood can also be refinished, depending on the thickness of its wear layer, but usually not as often.

The Key Benefits of Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered wood flooring offers several benefits that make it an attractive choice for homeowners. One of its most significant advantages is its stability. Thanks to its multi-layered construction, engineered wood is less susceptible to warping and movement caused by temperature and humidity fluctuations. This makes it suitable for installation in areas where solid wood flooring would struggle, such as basements or rooms with radiant heating systems.

Another key benefit is its aesthetic versatility. With a wide range of species, finishes, and styles available, engineered wood can closely mimic the look of solid hardwood flooring while offering a broader selection of design options. Homeowners can choose from various plank widths, colors, and textures to match their interior decor.

Durability is another strong point for engineered wood. The wear layer of engineered wood is made from real hardwood, providing the same resistance to scratches and dents as solid wood. Thicker wear layers allow for refinishing, which can extend the floor’s lifespan by many years.

Lastly, engineered wood is easier to install compared to solid wood, with several installation options including floating, glue-down, and nail-down methods. Its versatility, stability, and aesthetic appeal make it an excellent flooring solution for virtually any room in your home.

Durability and Longevity of Engineered Wood

One of the standout features of engineered wood flooring is its durability. Unlike solid wood, which can be sensitive to environmental conditions, engineered wood’s layered construction offers increased resistance to the effects of humidity and temperature changes. This makes it less prone to issues like warping or shrinking over time, particularly in areas where moisture levels fluctuate, such as bathrooms or basements.

The lifespan of engineered wood largely depends on the thickness of its wear layer. Thicker wear layers, typically 3-6 mm, can be sanded and refinished multiple times, much like solid hardwood, extending the floor’s longevity to 20-30 years or more. Even engineered wood with a thinner wear layer can last over a decade with proper care.

In addition to resisting moisture, engineered wood is tough enough to withstand daily wear and tear. Its durability makes it a great option for high-traffic areas like hallways and living rooms. While scratches and dents are possible, especially with softer wood species, these imperfections can often be minimized with routine maintenance or refinishing.

For households with pets, children, or heavy furniture, engineered wood offers a resilient and long-lasting flooring solution. Its durability, combined with its timeless aesthetic, ensures that it remains a smart investment for years to come.

Installation Methods for Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered wood flooring is prized for its ease of installation, with several methods available depending on the homeowner's preference and the condition of the subfloor. The three most common installation methods are floating, glue-down, and nail-down.

The floating method involves laying the engineered wood planks over an underlayment without adhering them directly to the subfloor. The planks are connected via a tongue-and-groove system or a click-lock mechanism. This method is often the simplest and most cost-effective, making it popular for DIY installations. Floating floors are also ideal for areas with radiant heating systems, as the lack of adhesives allows the floor to expand and contract freely.

Glue-down installation involves applying adhesive to the subfloor before laying the engineered wood planks on top. This method provides a more secure and permanent installation, making it well-suited for high-traffic areas. However, it requires more skill and preparation, as the subfloor must be clean, dry, and level to ensure a smooth installation.

The nail-down method is similar to the installation of solid hardwood floors, where the planks are secured to the subfloor with nails or staples. This method is typically used for installations over wooden subfloors and provides a very stable, long-lasting floor. Although more labor-intensive, this method ensures that the engineered wood remains securely in place for decades.

Conclusion

Engineered wood flooring is a versatile, stylish, and practical choice for homeowners looking for the beauty of hardwood without the drawbacks of solid wood. With its superior resistance to environmental changes, easy installation methods, and wide range of design options, engineered wood offers the perfect balance of form and function. Whether you’re upgrading your living room, renovating a basement, or installing new floors in a high-traffic area, engineered wood flooring provides a durable and aesthetically pleasing solution for any space.

[turkiyeecom]

Two teen boys murdered in south London 12 minutes apart

A man in his 30s has been stabbed to death in broad daylight on a London street, marking the third murder to hang over the capital in a blood-soaked 24 hours.  Just before 5pm yesterday an 18-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man were killed in separate attacks just 12 minutes apart, within 12 miles of each other, in south London. Three men were also found stabbed and slashed in Clapham around 3am this morning, but managed to escape with their lives. Police are yet to make any arrests following this afternoon's murder on Alton Street, Poplar, the 59th to rock the capital, but 14 people - including nine males aged between 16 and 19, and a girl aged 17 - were arrested last night in connection with the attacks.  Police and forensics officers at the scene in Tower Hamlets, East London after a man suffered stab injuries this afternoon and was pronounced dead A fleet of police cars pull up following this afternoon's murder on Alton Street, Poplar, the 59th to rock the capital Police are yet to make any arrests but forensics officers are working on the crime scene An air ambulance in attendance after a man in his 30s was stabbed in Tower Hamlets, London, this afternoon. He died 40 minutes after being attacked An ambulance and police car in attendance at the stabbing in Tower Hamlets, the third to rock the capital in 24 hours The body of a teenage boy after he was stabbed to death in Wandsworth shortly before 4pm yesterday. He was attacked just 12 minutes before a second victim was shot in a car park in Plumstead, just 12 miles away

Jan 1: Charlotte Huggins, 32, CamberwellJan 1: Tudor Simionov, 33, MayfairJan 4: Simbiso Aretha Moula, 39, RainhamJan 6: Sarah Ashraf, 35, Isle of DogsJan 7: Jayden Moody, 14, Waltham ForestJan 11: Asma Begum, 31, Canning TownJan 27: Kamil Malysz, 34, ActonJan 29: Nedim Bilgin, 17, IslingtonFeb 4: Carl Thorpe, 46, HighgateFeb 5: Lejean Richards, 19, BatterseaFeb 10: Dennis Anderson, 39, East DulwichFeb 18: Bright Akinlele, 22, CamdenFeb 19: Brian Wieland, 69, ChingfordFeb 21: Glendon Spence, 23, BrixtonFeb 22: Kamali Gabbidon-Lynck, 19, Wood GreenFeb 25: David Lopez-Fernandez, 38, Tower HamletsFeb 26: Che Morrison, 20, IlfordMar 1: Jodie Chesney, 17, Harold HillMar 2: Elize Linda Stevens, 50, HendonMar 2: Jolia Bogdan, 3 months, CroydonMar 3: Unnamed man, 37, SohoMar 6: Laureline Garcia-Bertaux, 34, KewMar 6: David Martinez, 26, LeytonMar 7: Antoinette Donnegan, 52, BatterseaMar 7: Ayub Hassan, 17, West KensingtonMar 16: Nathaniel Armstrong, 29, FulhamMar 22: Abdirashid Mohamoud, 17, IsleworthMar 24: Ravi Katharkamar, 54, PinnerMar 27: Ramane Richard Wiggan, 25, West NorwoodMar 28: Zahir Visiter, 25, Regents ParkMar 29: Gavin Garraway, 40, ClaphamApr 1: Calvin Bungisa, 22, Kentish TownApr 2: Hubert Hall, 60, WalthamstowApr 7: Annabelle Lancaster, 22, EnfieldApr 8: Noore Bashir Salad, 22, Manor ParkApr 16: Gopinath Kasivisuwanathan, 27, WembleyApr 17: Steven Brown, 47, Stoke NewingtonApr 23: Meshak Williams, 21, HarlesdenApr 26: Mihrican Mustafa, 38, Canning TownApr 26: Henriett Szucs, 34, Canning TownApr 26: Amy Parsons, 35, WhitechapelApr 26: Joshua White, 29, HackneyMay 1: Tashaun Aird, 15, HackneyMay 5: Constantin Sin, 51, LeytonstoneMay 5: Junior Urugbezi-Edwards, 18, SouthwarkMay 11: Erik San-Filippo, 23, IslingtonMay 16: Barrington Davis, 54, LewishamMay 23: Vladimir Koudriavtsev, 69, KensingtonMay 23: Tatiana Koudriavtsev, 68, KensingtonMay 25: Iderval da Silva, 46, BatterseaMay 26: Alimal Islam, 23, Tower HamletsMay 28: Ismaila Ceesay, 33, Forest GateMay 30: Steven Kennedy, 61, Plaistow ParkMay 30: Graham Howe, 52, HarrowJune 1: Baris Kucuk, 33, HaringeyJune 4: Adrian Murphy, 43, BatterseaJune 14: Unnamed boy, WandsworthJune 14: Unnamed boy, PlumsteadJune 15: Unnamed man, Tower Hamlets Crime officers were then seen searching for evidence in Plumstead, south east London, following the fatal shooting Medical equipment was photographed today at the scene of the attack in Deeside Road, Wandsworth, where police continue to investigate The man in his 30s was pronounced dead at the scene, some 40 minutes after he was stabbed at 2pm. A crime scene is now in place and officers have said they are planning to notify his next of kin. A spokesman said they are keeping an 'open mind' as to the motive for the stabbings.  Some 90 minutes later, a man in his 40s was stabbed in the chest in Edmonton, north London.   The victim suffered a single stab wound to the chest and was airlifted to hospital where he is in a critical but stable condition.  The incident happened at 3.30pm in North Square, Edmonton, north London.  Officers from Enfield are investigating the incident.  So far there have not been any arrests.  Scotland Yard confirmed they are seeking to speak with anyone who may have witnessed the attack.  Anyone with information is asked to call Enfield police station on 101 quoting CAD5047/15JUN, Tweet @MetCC or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.  A man in his 40s was stabbed and critically injured in an attack in Edmonton, north London at 3.30pm today. The victim was taken to hospital where he is being treated for his injuries The first victim in 24 hours of blood-letting was stabbed on Deeside Road, Wandsworth, at 4.42pm on Friday, and died a short time later. Emergency services battled to save the boy's life but he succumbed to his wounds at the scene. The second boy was shot dead in a car park on Hartville Road, Plumstead at 4.54pm, some 12 miles away. A police tent has been erected near the scene in Deeside road. A teenager was stabbed to death just before 5pm last night Flowers were left at the scene in Deeside road this morning following the murder Three men and a woman have been arrested in connection with yesterday's Plumstead murder Then three men were found with stab and slash injuries at 3.22am on Bedford Road, Clapham. The condition of two of the men is unknown, but a third man has been reported as having non-life threatening injuries.  Murdered schoolboy's father says young people 'have not learned their lessons' The father of murdered schoolboy Damilola Taylor has said young people still have not learned lessons from his son's death. Speaking at a conference in central London on gun and knife crime, Mr Taylor said: 'Young people have taken life as if it's something to play with'. 'In our work in the past 15 years at the Damilola Taylor Trust, we have found that the problem that underpins the continuous surge in knife crime in the city of London is based on issues around family neglect. Damilola Taylor was found bleeding to death in a stairwell near his home in Peckham, south London, in 2000 'The family issue has often contributed to young people being neglected from home as a result of a dysfunctional home. 'Secondly, part of the discussion that has been emphasised here is that the problem starts in schools as a result of the schools not understanding the background of these children.' He also criticised Boris Johnson during his time as London Mayor. 'Boris Johnson at City Hall, he did his best and what he didn't understand, how to deal with the black community. 'He didn't know the difference between African and Caribbean, he didn't understand what is called the postcode community. He was asking, 'What is the postcode?' - because he wasn't on the ground. Damilola was found bleeding to death in a stairwell near his home in Peckham, south London, after being stabbed in the leg with a broken beer bottle by a gang of youths in 2000.  Flowers were left by members of the public at the scene in Deeside road this morning.  Last night's murders were the 57th and 58th to hit the capital since 43-year-old Adrian Murphy was stabbed in a block of flats in Battersea 11 days ago. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has been criticised for failing to get London's knife crime under control. The city already looks set to meet last year's killing record, where 132 people were killed in 2018.  It exceeded the count for the year before in early November 2018.  Police said that eight males, aged between 16 and 19, have been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the Wandsworth stabbing and Plumstead shooting, and remain in custody at west London police stations. Two boys aged 16 and a 17-year-old boy were arrested following the Plumstead shooting alongside a 17-year-old girl.   They were taken to separate police stations for questioning.  In the early hours of this morning an additional four men were arrested in relation to the Clapham stabbing.  Two were taken into custody for violent disorder while one was arrested for carrying a bladed instrument and a fourth for possession of a taser. Police have been trying to notify both murder victims' next of kin. A post mortem will be carried out in each case.  Marina Paget, 22, who lives near the crime scene in Deeside road, Wandsworth, said: 'I walked past at 2.30pm and I didn't see anything, but when I came back from work at 5.30pm it was all going on. 'I walked past I saw what looked like the body on the floor covered in a bag and there were 50 people around, loads of people, two or three ambulances.' London Mayor has been under pressure to get attacks under control as the capital heads for another record year of deaths on its streets. During his state visit, Donald Trump criticised Khan's handling of the situation. Lashing out after the Mayor wrote a piece in The Guardian accusing the US President of using the tactics of a 20th century fascist, Trump said Khan should 'focus on crime in London, not me'. He also said: 'Khan reminds me very much of our very dumb and incompetent Mayor of New York City, de Blasio, who has also done a terrible job - only half his height.'  Officers pictured at the scene where three men were stabbed on Bedford road, Clapham, at 3.22am this morning during another night of bloodshed in the capital Four men were arrested in relation to the Clapham stabbing - two for violent disorder, one after being accused of carrying a bladed instrument and another for possession of a taser. A teenage boy was stabbed to death in Deeside Road, Wandsworth at 16.42 yesterday. A second teenage boy was shot dead at 16.54 in a car park on Hartville Road, Plumstead. On Saturday, three men were stabbed in the early hours of the morning, while a man was murdered at 2pm in Poplar. A man in his 40s was stabbed in the chest 90 minutes later in Edmonton Forensic teams examine evidence at the stabbing scene in Deeside road, Wandsworth A police tent near the scene in Deeside road, Wandsworth, after a teenager was fatally stabbed on Friday evening This morning TfL re-routed buses away from Bedford road in Clapham after it was closed due to the stabbing of three men A police officer climbs out of a van on Hartville Road, Plumstead. A teenage boy was shot in a car park just before 5pm yesterday afternoon, 12 minutes after the first attack in Wandsworth Just 12 minutes after the fatal stabbing a teenage boy was shot dead in a car park in Hartville Road, Plumstead, shortly before 5pm Speaking about the Wandsworth attack, superintendent Richard Smith said the events are a 'stark reminder' that carrying a knife can 'easily result in the taking of someone's life'.  'A young man died in the most tragic of circumstances and our thoughts remain with his family', he said. 'Officers will be patrolling the area throughout the weekend and are available to speak to residents if they have any concerns.' Appealing for information in relation to the Plumstead attack, detective inspector John Marriot said: 'The shooting took place not far from Plumstead railway station and I would urge anyone who was commuting to or from this station to speak with us. 'It was also sunny at the time and a number of people would have been enjoying the weather in the area of Plumstead gardens; I need you to come forward.'  A Met spokesman said: 'Police were called to Deeside Road, SW17 at 1642hrs on Friday, June 14 following reports of a stabbing. Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and found a male, believed to be aged in his late teens in a critical condition. 'He died at the scene a short while later. 'A crime scene remains in place and police are appealing for anyone with information on what happened to call them urgently on 101 quoting CAD reference 5877/14June.' Detectives confirmed they are following a number of leads.  Scotland Yard warned local residents in Wandsworth and Plumstead that they will see a heavy police presence as a result of both crimes. Police told ITV News that a cordon will remain in place on Bedford road, Clapham, until it becomes clear whether the stabbings were fatal. A large crime scene has been established around the scene of yesterday's fatal shooting Forensic officers worked through the night at the scene of yesterday's fatal stabbing on Deeside Road, Wandsworth. A teenage boy was attacked at 4.42pm and died a short time later The Metropolitan police have warned that there will be a large police presence in the area following the attack Six men were arrested by officers in connection to the stabbing last night in Wandsworth Mayor of London Sadiq Khan released a statement condemning the murders.  He said: 'I am sickened to hear that two young lives have been ended within minutes of each other in Wandsworth and Greenwich. 'Our overstretched police are working around the clock to keep Londoners safe. They need our support to end this scourge of violence. 'I am in close contact with the Metropolitan Police and locally elected representatives. 'Anybody who has information about what happened either in Wandsworth or Greenwich should do the right thing and call the police, either on 101 or anonymously, through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.' Tooting MP Rosena Allin-Khan said the murder on Deeside road was 'heartbreaking' and 'absolutely tragic'.  'My heart goes out to the family of this victim after this absolutely tragic incident," she wrote on Twitter. 'I spoke at length with people on the Aboyne Estate tonight, anyone with concerns can contact me - I'm here to listen. 'Sending love to the Tooting family tonight - this is heartbreaking.' Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, pictured yesterday at a service of remembrance for Grenfell condemned the murders and called on anyone with information on the killings to contact police or Crimestoppers immediately Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. Read More Read the full article

[flooringfitterslondon-blog]

Why You Should Contact South London Floor Fitters

Installing a new floor in a home is a complex process involving numerous variables, even though it involves two processes. After determining the type of flooring, one must then decide on how to install the flooring. That's why if you want a new floor in your London home, you want to contact professional South London floor fitters.

Why You Should Always Contact Professional Floor Fitters

Choosing the type of flooring depends on a platoon factors such as a floor's durability, maintenance costs, style, and price of the desired flooring just to mention a few factors.

Unless you have experience in flooring installation, it's easy to ignore some of these factors, and end up with a flooring installation that not only costs more than you budgeted, but also a floor that does not suit your lifestyle.

Imagine a home with little kids and the homeowners want to install marble or laminate flooring. A professional floor fitter will advise the homeowners against the marble floor because it doesn't fit their lifestyle. With such a lifestyle, wooden flooring would be the best choice.

Floor fitters will help you avoid more than just making a mistake with your choice of flooring installation. With a professional fitter, you can avoid costly floor installations. Professionals help estimate the cost of each flooring type as well as their estimated maintenance cost. With the estimates, you can easily gauge whether you can afford to have the flooring installed.

Contact Local Tradesmen Wood Floor Fitters

Also, contacting wooden flooring installers, for instance, helps determine if your flooring choice are right for the climate. The climate in London can jump from moist to freezing in mere hours. That means the floor installation must be able to hold up to the different climate conditions.

Laminate flooring is one of the most popular floor options in London. But before you embark on installing a laminate floor for your home, make a point of searching for a laminate floor installer near me on your favourite search engine. This should get you in contact with a professional floor installer to help you overcome the quirks of laminate flooring, especially when it comes to handling moisture.

Another thing you benefit from contacting a professional floor fitter is they help you choose a floor type that drives your home price up. Like any other part of your house, the floor is integral to the valuation of your home. Each type of flooring adds a different value to your home with pricier floor types adding the most value.

That doesn't mean you have to break the bank to install a marble floor on your home though. You can contact Engineered wood flooring installers to install an engineered wood floor that resembles solid hardwood but isn't quite as pricey.

These are just a few of the things South London floor fitters can help you with. There are lots of details professionals can help you iron out when choosing and installing a new floor for your home or commercial space. If you want to talk to Best Flooring Fitters London professionals, call 020 3322 7001 today for a quote and the next available installation slot.

We Service All Over London Including:

SW1 Sloane Square, SW2 Brixton, SW3 Chelsea, SW4 Clapham North, Clapham Common South Side, Clapham Common North Side, Clapham Common West Side, SW5 Earls Court, SW6 Fulham, SW7 South Kensington, SW8 South Lambeth, SW9 Stockwell, SW10 West Brompton, SW11 Clapham Junction, Battersea, SW12 Clapham South, Clapham Park, Balham, SW13 Barnes, SW14 Mortlake, SW15 Putney, SW16 Streatham, SW17 Tooting, SW18 Wandsworth, SW19 Colliers Wood, SW20 Wimbledon, SE1 Waterloo, SE2 Abbey Wood, SE3 Blackheath, SE4 Brockley, SE5 Camberwell, SE6 Catford, SE7 Charlton, SE8 Deptford, SE9 Eltham, SE10 Greenwich, SE11 Kennington, SE12 Lee, SE13 Lewisham, SE14 New Cross, SE15 Peckham, SE16 Rotherhithe, SE17 Walworth, SE18 Woolwich, SE19 Norwood, SE20 Anerley, SE21 Dulwich, SE22 East Dulwich, SE23 Forest Hill, SE24 Herne Hill, SE25 South Norwood, SE26 Sydenham, SE27 West Norwood, SE28 Thamesmead, Albany Park, Barnehurst, Belvedere, Bexley, Bexleyheath, Blackfen, Erith, Falconwood, Sidcup,

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The Blessings of Classically Designed Fitted Wardrobes in Wandsworth

Shopping for a perfect wardrobe can be an unnerving task since most freestanding closets tend to be either the wrong match for your room or lack enough storage for all of your outfits, shoes, jewellery and other accessories. A simple way to work around these issues is to choose fitted wardrobes Wandsworth, which are basically integrated closets custom designed for your room. When you decide to get built-in wardrobes, you will be going for furniture that fits into your bedroom. This will allow you to use your space resourcefully as the designer will design the furniture with the size and shape of the specific room in mind. You will be startled that this kind of wardrobe will cost you even much less than a conventional one. The reason is that it does not come with the wood at the back, the top, or the floor. Ultimately less wood or material will be needed to make inbuilt wardrobes.

With fitted wardrobes, the best factor is that you are part of the design process. You can design a closet that is in sync with the rest of your decor in regards of finishes and style. Select materials for your closet depending on the style of your home interior. You can go for sleek acrylic finishes with stainless steel handles to match modern style interiors. For traditional or rustic interiors, select walnut wood or any other kind of reclaimed wood. Your bedroom must be the most relaxing room in your home. You can have contemporary furniture tailored into your bedroom with classy fitted wardrobes Wandsworth, as this will give it that warm and cosy feel. Working with your designer throughout the process, surely gives it your own personal touch.

Lighting is one factor that is often ignored when it comes to wardrobe designing. With free-standing closets, one often has to rely on exterior light sources for illumination, especially on dull, hazy mornings. Nonetheless, integral wardrobes can be designed with incorporated light fixtures. Go for spotlights at the topmost portion of your wardrobe and LED strip lights for the inner shelves. This can make it easier to find garments in deep drawers and shelves, saving you a lot of time and energy. So, if you are wondering where to go for fitted wardrobes Wandsworth , contact SS Carpentry in this regard to make your home interior classy and chic.     

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Safety Vinyl Flooring Fitters Brixton

Safety Vinyl Flooring Fitters Brixton: Call 020 3322 7001, We are South West London's leading luxury vinyl flooring, bathroom vinyl flooring, safety vinyl flooring, click vinyl flooring, carpet, kitchen vinyl flooring, wet room vinyl flooring installers and laminate flooring fitters serving the needs of residential and commercial clients within London Borough of Wandsworth and beyond.

Highly Recommended As The Best:

1. Commercial Vinyl Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 2. Bathroom Vinyl Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 3. Luxury Vinyl Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 4. Kitchen Vinyl Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 5. Click Vinyl Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 6. Wood Effect Vinyl Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 7. Lino Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 8. Sheet Vinyl Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 9. Wet room Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 10. Non Slip Vinyl Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 11. Amtico Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 12. Karndean Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 13. Heavy Duty Vinyl Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 14. Altro Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 15. Tile Effect Vinyl Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 16. Safety Vinyl Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 17. Laminate Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 18. Engineered Wood Flooring Fitters In Brixton. 19. Carpet Fitters In Brixton. 20. Rubber Flooring Fitters In Brixton.

Vinyl coverings are an ideal solution when it comes to your kitchen, hallways, canteen, changing room or bathroom floors. Warmer than tiles, vinyl coverings are easy to clean and to keep look beautiful year after year.

Our premium range of vinyl coverings are available in a wide variety of patterns and finishes including stone, wood and tile.

We can also provide you with non slip vinyl flooring for bathrooms, wet rooms, changing rooms, showers and kitchens.

If you want wet room flooring fitters or laminate flooring fitters in Brixton, Then get in touch with us - Call 020 3322 7001.

Floor Fitting Coverage Area

Balham | Barnes | Battersea | Beddington Corner | Beddington | Brentford | Brixton | Brompton | Carshalton | Castelnau | Chelsea | Chertsey | Chessington | Clapham Junction | Clapham | Claygate | Colliers Wood | Earl's Court | Earlsfield | East Sheen | Epsom Downs | Epsom | Esher | Ewell | Fulham | Hook | Kew Gardens | Kew | Kingston | Kingston-upon-Thames | Merton | Mitcham | Morden | Mortlake | Nine Elms | Parson's Green | Pimlico | Putney | Raynes Park | Richmond | South Kensington | South Lambeth | South Wimbledon | Southfields | Stockwell | Streatham Hill | Streatham | Surbiton | Teddington | Tooting | Tulse Hill | Twickenham | Wandsworth | West Kensington | Westminster | Weston Green | Wimbledon | Woodmansterne | Worcester Park | Abbey Wood | Addington | Anerley | Beckenham | Bermondsey | Bellingham | Blackheath | Borough | Brockley | Camberwell | Catford | Charlton | Chislehurst | Crofton Park | Cross | Croydon | Crystal Palace | Deptford | Dulwich | East Croydon | East Dulwich | Elephant and Castle | Eltham Park | Eltham | Foots Cray | Forest Hill | Greenwich | Grove Park | Herne Hill | Hither Green | Honor Oak Park | Lambeth | Lee | Lewisham | Motspur Park | New Maldens | North Woolwich | Norbiton | Peckham | Penge | Plumstead | Rotherhithe | Shirley | Sidcup | South Bermondsey | South Croydon | Southwark | Sydenham | Upper Norwood | Walworth | Wallington | Waterloo | West Norwood | Westcombe Park | Woolwich | Acton | Addlestone | Bayswater | Brook Green | Charlton | Chiswick | Ealing | East Molesley | Eastcote | Elsham | Greenford | Hammersmith | Hanger Lane | Hanwell | Holland Park | Isleworth | Kensal Green | Kensington | Ladbroke Grove | Marble Arch | Marylebone | Mayfair | North Kensington | Notting Hill | Osterley | Paddington | Perivale | Queens Park | Shepherd's Bush | Strand | Uxbridge | Warwick Avenue | West Brompton | West Ealing | Kensington | Shoreditch | Isle of Dogs |

Safety Vinyl Flooring Fitters Brixton: Call 020 3322 7001

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Click Vinyl Flooring vs. Traditional Options: Which is Right for You?

When it comes to choosing the perfect flooring for your home, the decision can be overwhelming given the variety of options available. Two popular choices are click vinyl flooring and traditional flooring options like hardwood, laminate, and tile. Each has its own set of benefits and drawbacks, making it essential to weigh your preferences, needs, and budget before making a decision.

Click vinyl flooring, known for its ease of installation and modern look, has become a favored choice for many homeowners. On the other hand, traditional flooring options are celebrated for their timeless appeal and durability. In this article, we’ll compare click vinyl flooring with traditional flooring options to help you determine which type is right for you. By exploring the features, advantages, and disadvantages of each, we aim to guide you in making an informed choice that will enhance both the functionality and aesthetic of your living space.

Comparing Click Vinyl Flooring and Traditional Flooring Options

When choosing between click vinyl flooring and traditional flooring options, it’s important to understand the key characteristics of each to make an informed decision. Here’s a detailed comparison to help you evaluate which type of flooring best suits your needs.

Click Vinyl Flooring Overview

Click vinyl flooring is a modern, engineered product designed for ease of installation and versatility. It typically consists of several layers:

Wear Layer: The top layer that provides durability and resistance to scratches, stains, and fading.

Design Layer: A high-resolution print layer that mimics the appearance of natural materials like wood or stone.

Core Layer: Made of dense vinyl, this layer provides stability and comfort.

Backing Layer: The bottom layer that offers additional cushioning and sound insulation.

Installation: Click vinyl flooring features a click-lock installation system, which allows the planks to snap together without the need for glue or nails. This makes it a popular choice for DIY projects and quick renovations.

Traditional Flooring Options Overview

Traditional flooring options include hardwood, laminate, and tile, each offering distinct characteristics:

Hardwood Flooring: Made from solid wood, it provides a classic and natural look. It can be sanded and refinished multiple times, offering long-term durability and value.

Laminate Flooring: Composed of multiple layers including a core layer, a photographic layer, and a wear layer. It replicates the appearance of wood or stone but is generally less durable and cannot be refinished.

Tile Flooring: Available in ceramic, porcelain, and stone varieties. Tile is known for its durability, water resistance, and variety of styles. Installation can be labor-intensive and requires grout.

Key Differences

Appearance and Style:

Click Vinyl Flooring: Offers a wide range of designs and finishes that mimic natural materials. The appearance can be customized to suit modern or traditional decor.

Traditional Flooring Options: Natural wood, laminate, and tile each have unique textures and visual appeal. Hardwood and stone offer a timeless look, while laminate and tile provide various aesthetic choices.

Durability and Maintenance:

Click Vinyl Flooring: Highly resistant to scratches, stains, and moisture. It’s easy to clean and maintain, making it ideal for high-traffic and moisture-prone areas.

Traditional Flooring Options: Hardwood can be prone to scratches and requires regular maintenance. Laminate is durable but less so than vinyl, and it cannot be refinished. Tile is durable and easy to clean but can be cold and hard underfoot.

Installation and Cost:

Click Vinyl Flooring: Known for its simple, DIY-friendly installation due to the click-lock system. Generally more affordable than high-quality hardwood or stone.

Traditional Flooring Options: Installation can be more complex and costly, particularly for hardwood and tile, which often require professional installation. While laminate is easier to install, it can still be more expensive than vinyl.

Comfort and Insulation:

Click Vinyl Flooring: Provides a softer underfoot feel and better sound insulation compared to tile and some types of laminate.

Traditional Flooring Options: Hardwood and tile can be hard and cold, though they offer a solid, high-quality feel. Some laminate and tile options include added underlayment for improved comfort.

In summary, while click vinyl flooring offers ease of installation, durability, and cost-effectiveness, traditional flooring options provide unique aesthetic qualities and long-term value. Understanding these differences will help you select the flooring that best aligns with your preferences, lifestyle, and budget.

Pros and Cons of Click Vinyl Flooring vs. Traditional Options

When deciding between click vinyl flooring and traditional flooring options, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons of each to determine which best meets your needs and preferences. Here’s a detailed look at the advantages and disadvantages of click vinyl flooring compared to traditional flooring options like hardwood, laminate, and tile.

Click Vinyl Flooring

Pros:

Ease of Installation: Click vinyl flooring features a click-lock installation system that allows planks to snap together without the need for glue, nails, or staples. This makes it ideal for DIY projects and quick renovations.

Durability: The wear layer on click vinyl flooring provides excellent resistance to scratches, stains, and fading. It is well-suited for high-traffic areas and households with pets or children.

Water Resistance: Click vinyl is highly resistant to moisture, making it a great choice for kitchens, bathrooms, and basements where traditional flooring options might struggle.

Affordability: Generally, click vinyl flooring is more budget-friendly than high-quality hardwood or natural stone. It offers a cost-effective way to achieve a stylish look without breaking the bank.

Variety of Designs: Available in a wide range of designs, colors, and finishes, click vinyl can mimic the appearance of natural materials such as wood and stone, allowing for versatile design options.

Cons:

Perceived Quality: Some people perceive click vinyl flooring as lower quality compared to natural materials like hardwood or stone, which can affect its appeal in high-end applications.

Limited Lifespan: Although durable, click vinyl flooring may not last as long as traditional options like hardwood or tile. It is prone to damage from heavy furniture or sharp objects.

Environmental Impact: Vinyl flooring is made from synthetic materials, which may not be as eco-friendly as natural flooring options. Disposal can also be a concern, as it may not be recyclable.

Traditional Flooring Options

Hardwood Flooring

Pros:

Timeless Appeal: Hardwood flooring offers a classic, natural look that adds warmth and elegance to any space. It can be sanded and refinished multiple times, extending its lifespan and allowing for changes in style.

Long-Term Value: Hardwood is a durable investment that often increases the value of a home. Its longevity and quality are highly regarded in real estate markets.

Variety: Available in numerous species, finishes, and stains, hardwood can be customized to match a wide range of interior design styles.

Cons:

Cost: Hardwood flooring is typically more expensive than click vinyl, both in terms of material and installation costs. High-quality options can be particularly costly.

Maintenance: It requires regular maintenance, including periodic refinishing, to keep it looking its best. It is also susceptible to scratches, dents, and moisture damage.

Installation Complexity: Installing hardwood flooring can be labor-intensive and may require professional installation, adding to the overall cost.

Laminate Flooring

Pros:

Affordability: Laminate is generally less expensive than hardwood or natural stone, making it a budget-friendly alternative.

Ease of Installation: Like click vinyl, laminate often features a click-lock system, making it relatively easy to install, even for DIY enthusiasts.

Durability: Laminate is resistant to scratches and dents, and it can handle heavy foot traffic fairly well.

Cons:

Wear and Tear: While durable, laminate cannot be refinished and may show signs of wear more quickly than hardwood or vinyl. It is also less resistant to moisture compared to vinyl.

Less Authentic: Though it can mimic the look of natural materials, laminate lacks the authenticity and warmth of real wood or stone.

Tile Flooring

Pros:

Durability: Tile is highly durable and resistant to moisture, making it ideal for areas prone to spills and heavy use. It can also withstand high foot traffic and heavy furniture.

Variety: Available in a vast array of styles, colors, and materials, tile offers numerous design possibilities and can be customized to suit various tastes.

Low Maintenance: Tile is relatively easy to clean and maintain. It does not require refinishing and is resistant to stains.

Cons:

Installation and Cost: Tile installation can be complex and costly, often requiring professional help. The cost of high-quality tile can be significant.

Cold and Hard: Tile can be cold and hard underfoot, which may be uncomfortable for some people. It may also require additional underlayment to improve comfort.

Grout Maintenance: The grout lines between tiles can accumulate dirt and require regular cleaning to maintain their appearance.

In summary, while click vinyl flooring offers ease of installation, water resistance, and affordability, traditional options like hardwood, laminate, and tile each come with their own unique benefits and limitations. Consider your specific needs, budget, and style preferences when making your choice to ensure that your flooring selection aligns with your overall goals for your space.

Choosing the Right Flooring for Your Needs

Selecting the right flooring involves evaluating several factors to ensure that your choice aligns with your lifestyle, design preferences, and budget. Here’s a guide to help you make an informed decision between click vinyl flooring and traditional options such as hardwood, laminate, and tile:

1. Assess Your Lifestyle and Usage

High-Traffic Areas: If you’re looking for flooring that can withstand heavy foot traffic, click vinyl flooring is a strong contender due to its durability and scratch resistance. Laminate is also a good option, though it may not be as robust as vinyl. Traditional hardwood and tile can handle traffic but may require more maintenance or professional installation.

Moisture-Prone Areas: For spaces prone to moisture, like kitchens and bathrooms, click vinyl flooring excels with its water resistance. Tile is another excellent choice for these areas due to its inherent moisture resistance. Hardwood and laminate, however, can be vulnerable to water damage and may require additional treatments or precautions.

Comfort and Warmth: Consider the comfort of the flooring underfoot. Click vinyl and laminate generally offer a softer feel compared to tile, which can be cold and hard. If comfort is a priority, you might want to look into options that include underlayment or additional cushioning.

2. Consider Your Budget

Initial Cost: Click vinyl flooring is typically more affordable than high-quality hardwood or natural stone tiles. Laminate offers a middle ground in terms of cost. If budget constraints are significant, click vinyl or laminate might be more suitable options.

Long-Term Value: While traditional hardwood flooring has a higher initial cost, it can be a long-term investment due to its durability and the potential for increased home value. Tile also provides long-lasting value but may require a higher upfront investment. Consider whether you’re investing for the long term or seeking a more economical solution.

3. Evaluate Design and Aesthetic Preferences

Design Flexibility: Click vinyl flooring comes in a wide variety of designs and finishes, allowing you to mimic the look of wood, stone, or other natural materials. This flexibility makes it easy to match different interior styles. Laminate also offers design versatility but may not achieve the same level of realism as vinyl.

Natural Beauty: If you prefer the authentic look of natural materials, hardwood flooring offers unmatched beauty and character. Tile also provides a wide range of styles, from classic ceramic to luxurious stone. While vinyl and laminate can mimic these looks, they may not capture the full authenticity of the materials they replicate.

4. Installation and Maintenance Considerations

Ease of Installation: Click vinyl and laminate flooring are known for their straightforward installation processes, making them suitable for DIY projects. Traditional hardwood and tile often require professional installation, which can increase costs and complexity.

Maintenance Needs: Click vinyl is low-maintenance and easy to clean, making it ideal for busy households. Tile also offers low-maintenance benefits but requires regular grout cleaning. Hardwood flooring, while beautiful, requires more upkeep, including periodic refinishing. Laminate is generally easy to maintain but may need replacement if damaged.

5. Environmental and Health Factors

Environmental Impact: If sustainability is a concern, consider the environmental impact of your flooring choice. Traditional hardwood, especially if sourced sustainably, can be a more eco-friendly option. Click vinyl flooring, being a synthetic material, has a higher environmental footprint, though some brands offer more eco-conscious options.

Indoor Air Quality: Ensure that the flooring material does not negatively impact indoor air quality. Low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) options are available for many flooring types, including vinyl and laminate.

By carefully evaluating these factors—lifestyle needs, budget, design preferences, installation and maintenance requirements, and environmental considerations—you can choose the flooring that best suits your space and enhances your living environment. Each type of flooring has its unique benefits, so weigh them against your specific needs to make the best decision for your home.

Conclusion

Choosing the right flooring for your home is a crucial decision that can significantly impact both the functionality and aesthetic of your space. Click vinyl flooring and traditional options such as hardwood, laminate, and tile each offer unique advantages and considerations that cater to different needs and preferences.

Click vinyl flooring stands out for its ease of installation, affordability, and water resistance, making it an excellent choice for high-traffic and moisture-prone areas. Its wide range of designs and finishes allows for versatility in achieving a modern look that mimics natural materials. However, its perceived lower quality and environmental impact are important factors to consider.

On the other hand, traditional flooring options like hardwood, laminate, and tile offer distinct benefits, such as the timeless beauty of hardwood, the cost-effectiveness of laminate, and the durability of tile. Each of these options has its own set of maintenance requirements, installation complexities, and long-term value considerations.

Ultimately, the choice between click vinyl and traditional flooring depends on your specific needs, budget, and personal preferences. Assess factors such as traffic levels, moisture exposure, comfort, and design goals to determine which flooring type aligns best with your lifestyle and home environment.

By carefully evaluating these aspects, you can make an informed decision that not only enhances the look and feel of your space but also ensures lasting satisfaction and performance. Whether you opt for the convenience of click vinyl or the classic appeal of traditional flooring, choosing the right option will contribute to creating a beautiful and functional living space tailored to your needs.